Aetherworks Refracted
by Sirplop
Aetherworks Refracted, a Forge and NeoForge equipment mod for 1.20.1, adds aetherium production, a Tool Forge for crafting aetherium tools and an Aetherium Aspectus for alchemy.
What it does
The mod centers on aetherium, a material that players refine and use to craft tools and run alchemy. Aetherium refinement was reworked, and the electrum and bronze stages that earlier builds had by default no longer exist. A Moonlight Harvester structure no longer depends on Control Matrices, and a Control Matrix now increases aetherium production instead.
Crafting changed in this version. A Tool Forge adds a final step for aetherium tools, replacing the older method of combining parts in the crafting grid. Ancient meteorites can be found in the world, and a large multiblock forge is needed to craft with them. The Aetherium Aspectus is required to perform aetherium-based alchemy.
Both loaders are covered: Forge and NeoForge each have a build for 1.20.1, released 2026-01-14 as 1.20.1-1.1.8. Aetherworks Refracted runs on client and server, so the server and every player need it. The code is under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later and is open source. Public source code and an issue tracker are available.
Key features
Aetherium production
A Control Matrix increases how much aetherium a machine produces, and the Moonlight Harvester structure runs without one.
Tool Forge crafting
A Tool Forge performs the final step for aetherium tools, instead of joining parts together in a crafting grid.
Aetherium Aspectus alchemy
The Aetherium Aspectus is the item that enables aetherium-based alchemy.
Ancient meteorites
Ancient meteorites can be located in the world and require a large multiblock forge to craft with.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Tool progression
Players who build toward aetherium gear can use the Tool Forge and refined aetherium as the upgrade path.
Who it’s for: Players and server owners who want aetherium tools and alchemy in a 1.20.1 world. Because the mod is needed on both sides, a server must run it and each player must install it as well.
How it compares
Embers Rekindled is a Forge and NeoForge mod for 1.20.1 under the MIT License, and it is open source. Aetherworks Unofficial Extended Life targets Forge only for 1.12.2 and is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later. The Aetherium is a Forge mod for 1.16.4 – 1.17.1 under the MIT License and is not open source.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aetherworks Refracted | Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 | Client and server | 2026-01-14 |
| Embers Rekindled | Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 | Client and server | 2026-01-11 |
| Aetherworks Unofficial Extended Life | Forge | 1.12.2 | Client and server | 2025-06-06 |
| The Aetherium | Forge | 1.16.4 – 1.17.1 | Client and server | 2026-07-28 |
Questions
Does Aetherworks Refracted work on NeoForge?
Does the server need Aetherworks Refracted?
Is there a version for other Minecraft releases?
In the catalog
Aetherworks Refracted is one of 17,631 Equipment mods on ModsFinder, and one of 9,216 Equipment mods for Forge. 34,764 mods support Minecraft 1.20.1.
More from Sirplop
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What the author says
Aetherworks is an addon to Embers Rekindled, adding a new material, Aetherium, and powerful end-game tools made from it, Features ancient meteorites to find, and a large multiblock forge to craft with. See the Ancient Codex's new "Reflections of the Sun" page for information. Credits: Sirplop: Current maintainer…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/aetherworks-refracted
- Owner
- Sirplop
- Published
- 2024-07-26
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-01-14
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15